The field of the present invention is frame structures for motorcycles, including rear suspension mounting systems.
Conventional motorcycle design has generally employed a frame system which may or may not include as a portion thereof the engine structure. To this frame structure various components of the motorcycle are attached. Separately attached are the rear suspension, the cushion assembly for the rear suspension, and other components such as the footpegs and the retractable stand. Consequently, assembly of the motorcycle may be complicated by the requirement to attach individual components to the frame itself. As a result, advantageous employment of subassemblies cannot be realized.
In such motorcycles, the frame structures to which the many components are assembled must undertake to support the varying forces on the vehicle encountered during use. Conventional frame structures, whether or not they incorporate the engine as a component thereof, are arranged with main body frame members and downtube members which are fabricated from multiple components or from a bending of such components to generally define a diamond-shaped structure which requires the individual frame elements to withstand substantial stresses. In some systems, the stress is in part withstood by the substantial engine structure so that weight can be minimized. However, such conventional systems still require relatively sturdy structures and multiple mounting plates and devices to accommodate such traditianal designs.